Veteran who claimed that George Santos stole money from his dying dog gets a new puppy
Florham Park, New Jersey - Richard Osthoff, the veteran who accused Representative George Santos of stealing money that was meant to help his dying dog, now has a new canine best friend.
![Richard Osthoff (l.), the veteran who accused Congressman George Santos of stealing money raised for his dying dog, received a new puppy from a local charity.](https://media.tag24.de/951x634/y/u/yu8sle90x2k89ln1d45nujmfhrat6tzp.jpg)
According to NJ.com, Osthoff spent his Independence Day getting to know his new pup, a pit bull service-dog-in-training named Cinder, who was donated to him by the NJ Veterans Network.
Earlier this year, Osthoff began sharing his story with news outlets.
He alleges that after a life-threatening tumor was found in his service dog Sapphire's stomach, he reached out to Friends of Pets United, a now defunct charity founded by Santos, for help with paying for the surgery.
A GoFundMe was started to raise funds for the procedure, but after hitting its mark, Santos allegedly shut it down and took off with the money.
Santos has denied ever knowing Osthoff, calling the allegations "fake."
In May, Santos was hit with multiple criminal charges, including wire fraud, theft, and filing false statements to the House of Representatives.
Osthoff, who says he was questioned by the FBI about his allegations during their investigation, joined protesters outside a Long Island courthouse as Santos arrived for a hearing, shouting "You killed my dog!" as the politician arrived.
Santos is scheduled to appear back in court on September 7 as his legal team builds their defense.
Cover photo: Collage: Facebook/Rich Osthoff & MANDEL NGAN / AFP